Product Details

• Actors: Randy Quaid, Mary Beth Hurt, Sandy Dennis, Bryan Madorsky, Juno Mills Cockell
• Directors: Bob Balaban
• Format: Color, Dolby, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround)
• Region: All Regions
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: R (Restricted)
• Studio: Geneon [Pioneer]
• DVD Release Date: May 25, 1999
• Run Time: 83 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (36 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00000ILCW
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #143,128 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "Parents" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Brilliantly disturbing!, July 8, 2000

By 

Matt Martinez (Burbank, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Parents (DVD)

Parents is a film I had known about for quite a while before I finally decided to check it out. I was quite surprised by what I saw. Bob Balaban's cold, minimalistic style was just the touch this film needed. What could have been slapstick horror comedy (a la Dead-Alive or Evil Dead 2, both of which are great; that style just wouldn't work as well for this film) instead becomes a superbly filmed satire of 1950s family culture.

I never thought I could actually be afraid of Randy Quaid, but his performance is truly blood-curdling. (Strangely enough, due to the facial expressions he makes throughout the movie, this is the first time I've ever noticed a resemblance between him and his brother Dennis.) He plays the character with a understatement I didn't realize he was capable of.

I understand why some critics came down on the climax and resolution of the film, feeling it much too conventional in light of what had preceded it, but I feel that there weren't too many more possibilities they could have utilized. The film works fine the way it is, and I recommend it to fans of horror films and sharp-witted satire alike.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Leftovers, anyone?, January 19, 2000

By 

"lex_of_the_cherubum" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Parents (DVD)

"Parents" is a modern-day comedy about a 1950s family... the Laemlies (lem-lees). Young Micheal Laemlie lives a life of secrecy, pain and anxiety. Plauged by regular nightmares and, to some extent, "daymares", Mike is a suffering child. He is moody, emotionless, withdrawn, and a 'picky eater'... apparently emotionally disturbed. In response to a drawing he is asked to create at school, Mike begins to see the school pyschologist... but, well, she doesn't hang around for too long.

This is a howingly funny gallow's-humor flick with a cannibalistic twist that is sure to catch your attention and earn a special place in your video collection. The music is idiotically happy, even in the midst of some horribly gruesome scenes. The effect is... eerie, disturbing.

Remember, people... what's the scariest thing of all? PARENTS!

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What is real?, May 7, 2002

By 

vic (canaduh) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Parents (DVD)

Parents is one of those rare film gems that, although is masterfully crafted, may never get the recognition it deserves. It's a 'film', not a 'movie'. It is a horror film, psychologically and with a bit of grossness thrown in. It really tells the tale of idle young minds which can stagnate and rot in the tepid pools of parental medicority - probably secretly funded by wealthy vegetarians. The boy has a lot going on inside his head - just like his father's boss tells him about his father. Worth owning - especially if you can get a DVD copy.